Black Rock Canyon – Santa Teresa Wilderness Backpack

The Santa Teresa Wilderness lies east of Aravaipa canyon, north of the town of Klondyke. These mountains have deep canyons, with streams flowing in the springtime. The area is very remote, so there is a good chance of seeing wildlife, and a good chance of not seeing any other hikers. There could be coatimundi, mule deer, javalina, and black bear. The area is recovering from the 2021 Pinnacle Wildfire. You should have some backpacking experience to go on this trip.

We will depart Friday, late morning. Driving from Phoenix to the trailhead will take about 6 hours, and we will camp one night at Reef tank near the trailhead. On Saturday, we will hike in along the Black Rock Canyon to the junction with the Holdout Creek Trail to camp. Saturday afternoon there will be time for exploration further down the canyon into North Santa Teresa Wilderness. Sunday Morning, we’ll get an early start, and either return the way we came (easy) or hike along the Holdout Creek Trail (more overgrown) back to the starting point, and drive home. It is about 200 miles from Phoenix, and the last 7 miles or so require high clearance 4-wheel drive vehicles.

Make sure you adjust your Meetup settings so I can contact you for last-minute changes.

You can see pictures and maps at https://hikearizona.com/decoder.php?ZTN=17469 and https://hikearizona.com/decoder.php?ZTN=2410 .

Distance: 7.2 miles,800’ AEG, 1800’ AEL on Saturday, 7.3 miles, 2000’ AEG, 1000’ AEL on Sunday. Optional exploration hike into North Santa Teresa Wilderness from camp, 3 to 6 miles, 300-600’ AEG, 300-600’ AEL

Terrain: Difficult, as trail may be overgrown and hard to find at times.

Water: At this time of year, we expect to find water at the intersection of Black Rock and Holdout Creek.

Weather forecast: If the weather is bad, this trip will be postponed. Expected daytime high around 80, nighttime low around freezing. Weather forecast link here: https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=32.9208&lon=-110.2928&site=psr&unit=0&lg=en&FcstType=text#.YK1bqKhKiUm

Dogs: Well-behaved dogs are welcome.

Packing considerations

• Water for one night car camping plus the following day of hiking, as well as a method to treat water.
• Sleep system that is good down to about 25 degrees.
• Ten essentials - https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/ten-essentials.html
• Daypack for optional exploration.
• A sense of adventure.
• Cash for gas money if you carpool.
• A 4x4 is necessary for the drive. I have one.

Limit: 15 people

Cost: $2, payable at meeting place.

Meeting place:
Bashas, 5311 S Superstition Mountain Dr · Gold Canyon, AZ
Look for a white Jeep Cherokee. I recommend organizing carpools ahead and not leaving cars at the meeting place.

About me: I've backpacked all my life. I’ve organized trips for pre-teens to seniors. I’m posting meetups to have fun and meet others and share my love of the wilderness. Please load your GPS with the map if you can or print out the appropriate maps. I am not a guide but will use my best judgement and experience and that of the group members to keep everyone as safe as possible.